Ville



(MbdeL) M. R. HUBBELL.

AUTOMATIC GAR COUPLING.

,626. Patented Nov. 15,1881,

FIG4

WIT N E s s s i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MYRON R. HUBBELL, OF WOLOOTT, VERMONT, ASSIGNOR OF TWO-THIRDS TO E. 1FAIRMAN, OF SAME VILLE, VERMONT.

PLACE, AND GEO. W. HENDEE, OF MORRIS- AUTOMATIC CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 249,626, dated November15, 1881. Application filed September 10, 1581. (Model) To all whom itmay concern:

or pin support.

Be it known that I, MYRoN It. HUBBELL, of Wolcott, in the county ofLamoille and State of Vermont, have invented a new and useful AutomaticOarOoupling; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the same, reference being bad to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which-Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view, showing the parts in positionfor automatic coupling. Fig. 2 is a similar view, showing the positionof the parts after coupling. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of theswinging latch Fig. 4 is a top-plan View, partly in section, with theparts in the position shown in Fig. 2, and the cap-piece removed. Fig. 5is a bottom-plan view of the cap-piece. Fig. 6 is a top-plan view of theguide-socket.

Similar letters of reference in the several figures indicate the sameparts.

This invention consists of an improved automatic car-couplingconstructed as I will now proceed to describe.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the draw-head; B, a swinginglatch or pin support; G, the coupling-pin; D, a cap-piece for holdingthe latch in its bearings and assisting to guide the pin, and E a rodfor lifting the pin in uncoupling.

The latch or pin support is constructed of metal: and preferably withits front face fiat and smooth and its rearfacc angular, as shown. At ornear the middle of its upper edge it is concaved, as shown, so as toform a seat or bearing, a, for the coupling-pin, and it is provided withlaterally-projecting arms or trunnions b b,which have their bearingsinrecesses a a in the top of the draw-head. An opening, I), is made in thetop wall of the draw-head to permit the hanging of the latch in itsbearings, and also to admit of the latch being readily swung up intohorizontal position by the coupling-link L.

The cap-piece D is formed with a recess, d, in its under side for theaccommodation of the latch when swung up horizontally, and withavertica-lly-grooved projection, d, which, in

connection with a similarly-grooved projection,

b on the draw-head forms a guide and lateral support for thecoupling-pin in its various positions and movements. When in place thecap-piece covers the recesses a a and holds securely therein the arms ortrunnionsofthelatch. A screw, S, or other means may be employed tofasten the cap-piece in place.

When the device is set for automatic coupling the weight of the latchcauses it to stand in vertical position with the pin resting upon itsseat 0 as shown in Fig. 1. The pin-seat, it may be here remarked, isinclined or tapered downward from front to rear, so that the weight ofthe pin resting on the incline will tend to press the latch forward andthus preserve its vertical position and prevent the accidental droppingof the pin. The coupling-link on entering the draw-head strikes thelatch and swings it backward, thereby causing the pin to be released andto descend through the link and into a recess or perforation in thelower wall of the draw-head. The latch thus swung to one side by itstendency to regain its normal position cramps slightly the pin andprevents it from jumping out ofplace and at the same time by bearingupon the end of the entered link operates to hold the same in horizontalposition. In order to better direct the link into the draw-head thelower portion of the mouth of the latter, besides being flared asordinarily,

is given an increased bevel at its middle, as shown at JP, and theentering link is thereby conducted every time directly against thecenter of the latch.

Any form of means may be employed for lifting the pin to effect theuncoupling, but I pre fer to use the rod E connected to the pin, and bypassing up through an arm, F, above the draw-head, as shown. This rodhas a collar, h, upon it which limits its vertical movement and preventsthe entire withdrawal of the pin from 0 the draw-head, and it has anoffset, t, which, when the rod is raised to its highest point and turnedpartly round is adapted to engage with a shoulder, 7c, of a socket, K,on the arm F,

and lock the rod and pin in raised position. 5

Automatic coupling can thus be prevented when desired. The rod E isintended to be operated from the platform of the cars or from the sideof the track or from the top of the car so as to obviate the necessityof going between the cars in either coupling, or uncoupling and therebyprevent accidents.

The swinging latch or pin-holder acts as a weight, and is so designed,and resting upon the end of the link holds it level, or nearly so, sothat it will always be in the right position to enter the draw-head whenthe cars are run together for the purpose of coupling. This avoids thenecessity of going between the cars to raise the end of the link so itwill enter the draw-head.

I claim as my invention- -1. The combination ofthe draw-head, having theopening in its top wall and the recesses or bearings for the trunnionsot' the latch, with the latch and its trunnions, made in one piece, andthe cap-piece covering the opening in the top of the draw-head, andoperating to hold the latch-trunnions in their recesses, substantiallyas described.

2. The hinged latch having the pin-support beveled downward from frontto rear, substantially as described;

3. The combination, with the draw-head, of the hinged latch having itssupport beveled downward from front to rear, and the coupling-pin,substantially as described.

4. The combination, with the pin, of the rod E and its offset 17, andthe shoulder 70 of the socket K, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with the pin, of the rod E, the stop-collar h on therod, with the arm F, the offset on the rod and the shoulder of thesocket F, substantially as described.

MYRON R. HUBBELL.

Witnesses:

E. B. MERR AM, HENRY G. FlSK.

